Glossary
Approval Lock
Explicit, attributable client sign-off on a specific version. Not a reaction, not praise in chat, not payment sent in hope.
What is Approval Lock?
Approval Lock is deliberate acceptance of a milestone deliverable by the named approver after DoD is complete. It records who approved, which version, and when.
It opens the Payment Release Gate for that milestone when no dispute blocks release.
What must happen before Approval Lock?
Agreement Lock, deliverable submission, revisions within Revision Boundary (or change order for extras), and complete Definition-of-Done items. Skipping DoD turns approval into guesswork.
FAQ
Common questions
- Does a thumbs-up in chat count?
- No. Reactions are not approvals. Approval Lock requires explicit human confirmation.
- Can AI auto-approve for the client?
- No. AI may detect approval intent and prompt the client, but locking always requires explicit human action.
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